Time for Spring Cleaning… Your Medicine Cabinet
Kathy Ferguson, RN, Parish Nurse
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
When spring rolls around each year, many of us take on the big task of spring cleaning our homes. This year, don’t forget to add your medicine cabinet to that list. It is important to add this task to your yearly spring cleaning for a couple of reasons. First is that medications that are past their expiration dates may not work as they are intended. Commonly, the potency of the medication is decreased and it may not be as effective as expected. The other reason to clean out your medicine cabinet is to prevent accidental ingestion, misuse by others, or even overdose.
Here are some tips about medication spring cleaning:
Check those expiration dates.
Look at the expiration dates on prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and dietary supplements. The expiration date is the final day that the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of a medication.
Many drug products may have extended shelf lives beyond their expiration date. However, it is difficult for a consumer or health care provider to know which product could have an extended shelf life. For more information on drug expiration dates, check out this article: https://www.drugs.com/article/drug-expiration-dates.html
To be safe, discard medications that are past their expiration dates.
Discard prescription medications that are more than one year old.
Check the date that the prescription was filled to determine how old the medication is.
Hmm…that doesn’t look right.
Discard any medication that doesn’t look, smell, or taste right. What should you look for? Fading color, crumbling, clumping of liquids, an unusual odor, and a taste that is different from the usual.
Medications can be affected by light, temperature, and humidity and can affect how medications look, taste, or smell.
Dispose of unmarked bottles of medications.
If something is not in its original container and can’t be identified, it is time to get rid of it.
Check for “extra” antibiotics.
If you have “saved” antibiotics from your last infection just in case you get sick again, now is the time to dispose of them. If you feel like you need to take antibiotics, you should contact your healthcare provider.
There shouldn’t be any “extras”. Remember to take antibiotics for the number of days for which they were prescribed in order to appropriately treat infections. Even if you feel better, keep taking them as prescribed.
Dispose of medications properly.
In Rochester, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office and Rochester Police Department have placed a secured collection box in the vestibule of the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center’s entrance. The drop-off box is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Acceptable items for the drop-off box:
Prescriptions
Prescription Patches
Prescription Medications
Prescription Ointments
Over-the-county medications
Vitamins
Samples
Medications for pets
Not acceptable items for the drop-off box:
Hydrogen Peroxide
Thermometers
Inhalers
Needles (sharps)
Medication from businesses
Non-prescription ointments/lotions/liquids
This year, add your medicine cabinet to your spring cleaning. Happy Spring!
References:
Drugs.com. (2014) Drug expiration dates – are they still safe to take? https://www.drugs.com/article/drug-expiration-dates.html
Stephen, J. (2017) 6 tips to help “spring clean” your medicine cabinet. National Kidney Foundation website: https://www.kidney.org/newsletter/6-tips-to-help-%E2%80%9Cspring-clean%E2%80%9D-your-medicine-cabinet